On parenting, family, and life in general!

Week 35!!!

My BabyYour baby’s nearly here! Now that she’s basically done with her development, your baby’s main job right now is simply to continue plumping up. (Most weigh at least 5 pounds by now!) She’s gaining weight all over now, especially in her shoulders and adorable little face. (Those cheeks!) As a result, you may feel a tingling or numbness near your hips, triggered by her extra poundage pressing on your nerves down there. She’s generally kicking less often now (there’s only so much room for her to maneuver), but if you feel more of those wiggles in the upper part of your ribcage, that’s a good thing: It means she’s turned the right way (head-down) for delivery. Nearly 97 percent of babies have adopted this position by 35 weeks; the rest remain in what’s known as breech position — when their butt or feet are in place to come out first. If your baby’s among this minority, it does increase your odds of needing a c-section, but there’s a good chance your healthcare provider can correct the problem by turning her around manually by applying pressure to your belly. Called an external version, this process has about a 65 percent success rate.

My BodyDuring one of your upcoming doctor visits, you’ll get tested for Group B strep (GBS), a type of bacteria that’s normally found in the digestive tracks of more than 30 percent of women. Having it doesn’t affect your health at all — and there’s nothing you can do to prevent it — but it can harm your baby if it’s spread to her during delivery. If you do test positive for the bug, there’s no need to worry, because there’s a very easy and effective treatment. During labor you’ll receive antibiotics, which significantly slash your baby’s risk of getting sick (to less than one in 4,000, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

My LifeYou’ve probably been wondering how will you know when it’s actually, really, truly time? Braxton Hicks contractions can so mimic the real thing that they might make you want to bolt for the maternity ward. But unlike regular contractions, Braxton Hicks occur at sporadic intervals and don’t become more painful over time. So sit tight for a while and see how you feel. One tip-off that it’s time to call your doctor and grab your hospital bag: When you feel light twinges or cramps every 20 minutes or so that, after a few hours, start to strike about 10 minutes apart and are growing much more intense. Another signal is a painless gush or trickle of fluid — it means your water broke (actually your amniotic sac rupturing). Even if you don’t start having contractions immediately, your baby will need to be delivered in the next 24 hours to reduce the chance of infection. So check in with your doctor — and congrats, Mom!

We finished our child birthing classes last night, which is good! It was a great class, actually. John couldn’t be there because of a rehearsal, and only one other couple came, so we got to sit around and chat a lot more than we had before. It was good! I feel like I got the most out of that one class, more than any other!

I’m so excited about having the baby, I just can hardly wait! I can’t believe how fast it’s going to come up! I have only 8 days left at work before being out on maternity leave (remember, that’s only 4 week, since I work 2 days a week). The baby is in a head down position, which I can’t remember if I mentioned yesterday. That’s a good thing, because that means the baby really won’t be flipping around, and is in the right position for a normal vaginal birth. So far, things are looking good!